Part 1. Creating a character.

This is the hardest part of going solo. Rolling up a good character. It can be frusterating to create a character that has to be good in all things. Never fret, I will tell you the secret to getting a perfect character.

You don't need one.

Seriously.

The following words of wisdom are aimed at a Fighter Mage Thief.

Making a well rounded character is tough, but, not impossible. In solo play, you can not afford to skimp on anything. You need strength for melee and to carry stuff. (Like those heavy dead bodies you need to lug around for various quests.) You need dexterity for ranged combat and for AC values. You need constitution for decent hit points. You need intelligence to cast spells. You must have decent wisdom for both lore bonuses and for saving throw purposes. I do not recommend having a solo character with 7 or 8 wisdom, you are bound to run into problems. And finally, Charisma, which is also a vital skill. So how do you satisfy all of these needs?

First of all, Strength. Very important right? Yes and no. Remember, you have magic skills. And strength potions abound. There is also a book that will raise your strength later. Also, there are the Guantlet's of Ogre Power. 15 will work comfortably. With the mage spell, Strength, you can raise your strength to 18/50, which is pretty darn good. It is quite possible to make due with 15 or so strength till you get the spell.

Dexterity. This one is vital, probably the most vital of all your stats. If you chose Elf, which you should, for the sword and bow bonuses, you should raise this to 19 if possible. A bow will be your main weapon for most of the game. You will also need this to raise your AC, as you will not be wearing armor for most of the game. This is a must have, except no less.

Constitution. This is a nice stat, but, no matter how high you get it, three class multi class characters get screwed on hit points. The difference between 15 and 17 or 18 is piddly. Really. Besides, there are potions of fortitude you can drink if you need a temporary HP boost. 15 will work nicely, anything more will mostly be of help with your saving throws and will do little to help your hit points. If you can get 15, remember, there is a book you can get that will raise it by one point. Making only a slight difference.

Intelligence. Let's face it, you will never be an Arch Mage. Unless you cheat, you will never be able to cast 9th level spells or even 8th level spells with this character. The experience cap in later games will prevent this, should you take this character to the very end of the story. So 18 intelligence is a waste. 15 will work nicely. Gulp a potion to raise your intelligence to learn spells. 14 will even work, as there is a book that will raise this 1 point.

Wisdom. You will need this for several reasons. Lore for one. Being able to use an item in a dungeon might be a life saver, especially since you might not have an indentify spell memorized since there are more important spells for combat. Saving throws. Wait till somebody captures you in some sort of spell that cripples you, you will curse your self for not having better saving throws. Shoot for 12 or better, remember, there are two wisdom books in Baldur's Gate that will bring it to a comfortable 14.

Charisma. It is a vital skill, especially for solo characters. Some times, being able to smooth talk your way out of a situation is better then fighting. There are also better rewards. There is a cloak that will raise it by two, as well as charm your enemies. This will be important. And, there is the Friends Spell. Casting this before shopping or talking is a good idea. Cheaper goods, like Robes of the Good Arch Magi for about 10 grand is a live saver. Shoot for 15 if possible, higher is better.

Starting spells.

Let me start off by saying, Grease and later, Web, are must haves. Please save your self a lot of trouble and select Grease as one of your starting spells. Grease an incoming mob of wolves, xvarts, gibberlings, gnolls, ogres, what have you, they get nice and slow and you can run circles around them plinking away safely with your bow. This also helps a good bit in a certain fight trying to keep a certain duke alive. (More on this later.)

Sleep. Another must have, great for starting out. A sleeping ogre is a dead ogre. Starting out, you will be VERY fragile, and, you don't want anything to touch you.

Shield. Good for armor purposes, should worst come to worst. Better then Armor. Also gives a nifty bonus against missle attacks. With a certain girdle and a certain pair of boots, you can make your self immune to incoming enemy arrows. Well, almost immune.

Friends. This is a must have from the very beginning. When you start, gold will be very limited, and, believe me, you want to get a Composite Bow to get your self started. You could try to steal it, but, I don't recommend that.

Shocking Grasp. I know, I know, a touchy feely spell. To start off with, at level 1, this is probably the most damaging spell you can get. 1 to 10 electrical damage is nothing to sneeze at.

Other spells to get later.

Luck. Your thieving skills will be lacking. This will help.

Ghost Armor and Blur.

Mirror Image of course. Helpful, but, sometimes there are better spells to memorize for certain battles.

Melf's Acid Arrows. Great for taking out enemy spell casters while you are tied up with other more formidable foes that are right in your face.

Invisibility. Some fights you simply can't win. So, go invisible and avoid them all together. Knowing when to run like a scalded dog is one of the most important things you will learn playing solo.

Vampiric Touch. This is a vital spell. Don't laugh. Cast it to have it prepared, then, go into the shadows and backstab something nasty. Your backstab multiplier will compound with this, doubling or even trippling the amount of life stolen and damage done, to give you a sizeable and impressive amount of temporary hit points. Gaining an additional 20 to 50ish hit points is a good thing.

Slow. Slowed enemies are dead enemies. Need I say more?

Dispell Magic. ALWAYS try to keep this around, on a scroll if possible. Hasted enemies, like the Dopplegangers in the Duchal Palace fight, will kill you dead as a doorknob in seconds. Dispell magic makes short work of heavily buffed enemies.

Your starting stuff.

Don't waste money on armor. Your spells will protect you better then any armor will. Being able to cast Grease or Sleep means your enemies will never hit you. Try to get a Composite Bow. Beg borrow or steal the money if you have to. Although I don't recommend stealing. If you can, also get a long sword and a shield to stash in your back pack. There will be times when you are out of spells, and, you might have to slug it out in melee. Later in the game, there will be times when melee is better then archery, and, you will want plenty of stealth and a nice healthy backstab multiplier, along with as many Invisibility spells memorized as possible.

Advice on thieving skills. Don't skimp on anything. I know there are a few items that give stealth. You won't be wearing any of these. The Shadow Armor is useless to you, as it prevents spell casting. The Stealth boots are also useless. Always, and I mean always wear either the Senses of the Cat, which will protect you from missles, or, the Paws of the Cheetah, which will make you run much faster. Never be with out one of these pairs of boots on. With few exceptions. Keep the Boots of Grounding around for very special occasions.

So how well does a fighter mage thief do in melee combat wearing no armor? Well, mine, with 20 dex, certain spells and items, and the Robes of the Good Archmagi has a -7 AC when fully buffed. And IIRC, he has -12 to missle attacks. Spells like Blur, Ghost Armor, that claw thingie from that legendary beast (Kazaroth or something or other. I can't think of how to spell it at the moment.) Belt, boots, etc. He has terrible hit points, which really is not a problem. One of my typical opening moves is vampiric touch backstab, bringing me up to huge hit points if I get lucky. Cast Haste or drink an oil of speed and start slicing, dicing, casting spells, generally kicking mucho butt and taking names.

If you can, cast spells from scrolls. Like Vampiric Touch. Or Ghost Armor. There are a few of these scrolls around if you look, or, get lucky from a drop. Every wand and potion has it's uses, but, you won't have room to carry everything, so, set up a storehouse in an empty chest in a town some place (I use the Friendly Arm Inn as a base of Operations) and stock up with what you think you might need before battle.

Good luck and happy hunting, Part 2 should be coming soon.